In Loving Memory
by Ivette Boveda
Summary: In this oneshot, the Fisher brothers from Six Feet Under handle Margaret's final arrangements.


**Fall of 2002**

The two Fisher brothers sat across from the older couple, and presumably, their son.

"My cancer has masastatized" the woman, Margaret Eppes, said grimly, as her husband, Mr. Eppes paled and held her hand. "The doctors say that I don't have a lot of time left. I wanted to take care of the details, so that my family wouldn't be burdened with them. They've already sacrificed so much!" The younger man put a hand on her shoulder. Nate inwardly cringed upon seeing that she had just stubble on her head, and looked emaciated.

"We're very sorry" David said softly.

Calmly, with somberty, she listened to the choice of caskets as presented by David. The son, looked blank, but in David's imagination, the man was sobbing and screaming hysterically.

The two Fisher brothers remember the loss of their own father, and how hard it was to cope with. So many things were left unspoken, unknown.

"I like this one" she pointed to it.

"Is there any kind of service you would like?" Nate asked. He was still learnign the business.

"My husband and I were never really religious." She shook her head. "There might be Eulogies...but it'll mostly be a chance to say goodbye." Her husband swallowed a lump in his throat. "I've got a list of songs that I'd like to be played during." The woman handed David the list.

"She really knows her classical music" he thought, giving it a quick glance.

Nate asked "Where would you like to be buried?"

Margaret gave a couple of choices.

Suddenly, and with reluctance, the husband remarked. "Actually we'd like to get a couple of plots"

"Dad!" the son protested, he found it hard enough to deal with one parent's mortality.

"I'm not going to live forever, and it'll be easier for the boys to visit us both at one stop" he explained, but in reality, he took comfort in the thought of him and his wife being together for all eternity.

"What if you get married again?" Margaret pointed out. She had made him promise to move on and see other people after she was gone.

"I'm sure my uh...second wife will understand." the husband didn't want to get into the issue of seeing other people.

To the younger man, named Don, the whole transaction was a torture, but finally it was over with, and they were able to leave.

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**Three months later.**

Feet first, Margaret returned to Fisher and Sons. The son had called them that afternoon. Nate did the pick up at the woman's home, which was at a nice suburb.. The son, Don, was there to meet him. Nate recognized the look of numbness in the two men.

Pretty soon, she was being embalmed, and then prepared by Rico. Soon, he found himself 'talking' to her.

"Appreciate your family, while you can" she, in her sickly, skinny, bald from sat up and advised. "No one dies regretting they hadn't spent more time at the office"

"I always put my family first!" Rico got offended.

"Then why are you here at this hour?" she pointed at the clock. Rico noticed that it was eleven at night. Two other bodies had been in line before the Eppes woman.

Around two in the morning, Claire, who watched a movie, heard a very loud knock. She ran to the door, cautiously and asked.

"Who is it?"

"I'm wanna see my mother!!!"

"We're not open" she said fimrly, and proceeded to call David.

"I have to see her!" he screamed louder. For the last three months, he had locked himself in the garage working on an impossible math problem. He couldn't deal with his mother's illness anymore, especially when they sent her home. "I have to tell her I'm sorry!"

Ruth came down. "What's going on?"

"Some crazy guy wants to see his dead mom"

Ruth sighed, this wasn't the first time Fisher and Sons had to deal with a hysterical family member of the deceased.

David soon came and tried to calm down the man, not to mention, get him to leave.

"I HAVENT' SEEN HER FOR A LONG TIME!" He wailed. "I DIDN'T GET TO SAY GOODBYE"

"You'll get to say goodbye tomorrow" David said softly.

"LET ME SEE HER!" he had tears in his eyes.

Quickly, David called Keith. He was at a loss, and felt sorry for the man.

Keith came, and got him to calm down. Then, he told David, "His name is Charlie Eppes, you're burying his mother.Call his brother."

David did that, and with an apology, Don took his brother home.

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The next morning, as Ruth prepared breakfast, she imagined Margaret talking to her,while sitting at the table

"Maybe you and my husband could date sometime"

"Heavens no! I'm already seeing someone, and I doubt that he's ready" Ruth protested.

"Maybe in the future?"

Ruth sighed and shook her head.

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The wake with without a hitch except that the younger son got hysterical and tried to climb the casket. David, and Nate looked on.

"The older brother reminds me of you" Nate remarked.

David rolled his eyes.

Soon, they left the family and friends alone with their grief. The two fisher brothers hoped that they had made saying goodbye easier.

The End.


End file.
